Puppies, kittens and fun facts: oh my! Infographics pack tons of useful information into visually appealing designs, and what could be more useful and visually appealing than seeing how adorable cats and dogs effect your brain? Prepare yourself for a joyride through cuddly preciousness with the Cutest Infographic on the Whole Internet:

So Adorable I Want To Squeeze It: The Science of ‘Cute Aggression’

Whether they’re playing a keyboard, dressed like a human or just have an unhappy look on their face, adorable animals on the internet make us want to just reach out and squeeze them. Well, according to researchers from Yale, this reaction to dogs, cats and other cute creatures, is actually a hard-wired brain response known as ‘cute aggression’.

In a study from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, scientists found that when participants saw a cute animal, they became aggressive and wanted to squeeze something. The researchers believe this strong reaction might be linked to our desire to care for something cute, like a baby, and our frustration when our computer screen thwarts that desire. The response could also be the result of feeling overwhelmed by positive emotions.

So, the next time your scrolling through hilarious memes of pups and kittens and you start squeezing inanimate objects on your desk, you’ll know why!

Pets Keep Us Healthy and Happy

Looking at photos of cute animals can boost our concentration and productivity by an astounding 44%!

• Pets help relieve depression, reduce stress and improve our relationships with other people in our lives.
• Dogs and cats experience emotions just like humans, so it’s no surprise that we connect with them so deeply, even if we’re just looking at them online.
• Owning a pet, especially a dog, can help lower your risk of heart disease by increasing the amount of physical exercise you get with walks and other activity.

This Is Your Brain On Animals: Any Questions?

Long before we looked at hilarious cat pictures online, our ancient ancestors were keeping a close eye on the animals around them. A recent study shows that when we look at pictures of animals, certain parts of the amygdala – a part of the brain that plays a key role in how respond to pleasure, pain, fear and reward – activates almost immediately. Scientists believe this rapid, hard-wired response developed over time as animals played an important role in our evolutionary history, either as predators or prey. It’s no wonder that we can’t help but keep our eyes glued to the screen watching those fuzzy felines and goofy dogs.

Are Dogs Smarter Than the Average Baby?

You may think your adorable pet is the smartest on the block, well, now studies show that dogs may actually be just as smart as some of the humans on your block, too. Researchers found that dogs are able to learn language and social cues just as quickly as human infants. Dogs can quickly grasp the meaning behind gestures and words, and even correctly interpret words they’ve never heard before, just as babies do. A study at Lorand Eotvos University in Hungry found that dogs behaved similarly to infants by developing secure attachments to their owners and were more likely to explore and play when their owner was in the room than if only strangers were present. When dogs learn and behave just like children, it’s no wonder that up to 81% of Americans consider their pets as family members and think about their dogs as often as their children.